My query is for those with experience of these things! I have an F-Pace on order. In celebration, my wife has bought me a personalised number! Despite reading the DVLA website on this topic, I am none the wiser. The thing is, am I better off having the dealer first register the car with a regular number and then transferring my number onto the vehicle, or, give the dealership my Certificate of Entitlement and getting them to register the car with the personalised number in the first place?

Yes get them to register it on your plate they will also have the number plates made and fitted on for you
When you remove your plate DVLA will issue a new number plate with the correct year/ age on it
For your vehicle
So saves a little time and hassle that way too

Or you could be really cheeky like I was. Ask them to register it on a normal plate and make you a set of personalised plates to add later. Then you can spend a few weeks with a “new” car and then swap the plates. And then when you remove them to sell the car later on you’ve got a ready made set of plates to swap back

Or you could be really cheeky like I was. Ask them to register it on a normal plate and make you a set of personalised plates to add later. Then you can spend a few weeks with a “new” car and then swap the plates. And then when you remove them to sell the car later on you’ve got a ready made set of plates to swap back

Yes get them to register it on your plate they will also have the number plates made and fitted on for you
When you remove your plate DVLA will issue a new number plate with the correct year/ age on it
For your vehicle
So saves a little time and hassle that way too

It can be a fiddly process and, if they're prepared to do it, it's easier to leave it to the dealership (my last one wouldn't) but you need to keep on top of them to make sure that the paperwork isn't left sitting on someone's desk.

Incidentally, my experience has always been that the DVLA revert the 'old' car to its original reg. no.